A war that can be won BEHIND THE HEADLINES WITH BUNN NAGARA Malaysia and South Korea have shown the world how to tackle pirates.

MALAYSIAN naval commandos did well in freeing 23 crew members from a ship hijacked by Somali pirates late on Thursday night.
The Malaysian-flagged oil tanker MT Bunga Laurel was in the Gulf of Aden to transport RM30mil of oil to Singapore. Malaysian naval forces were also in the area to help in shipping security.
After the navy had escorted the Bunga Laurel into safer waters in the gulf and left, the pirates struck. They boarded the tanker with pistols and assault rifles, but the crew scrambled and sent out a distress call.
Within two hours the Malaysian navy’s special forces returned, shot three pirates, overpowered the rest and released the crew. By early Friday morning seven pirates were captured, with no crew members or rescue personnel injured.

The South Korean cargo ship Samho Jewelry was hijacked by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea on Jan 15. It was some 700 nautical miles from the Somali coast, once considered safe international waters.
A South Korean naval destroyer followed the hijacked vessel for several days before a special forces team was sent to rescue the 21 crew members. A pirate injured the ship’s captain, but in return eight pirates were killed and all the crew and rescue team were safe.